Wire-fabric machine



(No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. L. KITSELMAN. WIRE FABRIC IVIIIGIIIIIB.Y

No. 595,635. i Patented Deo.14, 1897. 771' iq" I V 4 "U J5 O Il O o EL b 0 '4:4 lf o i oo l,

, 6 o 26 LII 5E JZV o 25 Ib im G o If/a (No Model.) l l 3 Sheets-Shet 2;. A. L.-KITSELMAN. WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

Patented Deo. 14,` 41897.

(No Model.) 4 3 .Sheets- Sheet 3. A. L. KITSBLIVIAN.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE. i

No. 595,635. Patented Dec. 14,1897.

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lllllllllllmilll z5 .l A mill l" UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica ALVA L. KITSELMAN, OF RIDGEVILLE, INDIANA.

W IREFABRIC MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,635, dated December 14, 1897.

Application filed July 22, 1896. Serial No. 600,150. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALvA L. KITsELMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgeville, in the county of Randolph and State `of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Wire-Fabric Machine, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to wire-fabric machines; and it has for its object -to provide improvements in machines of this characterfor weaving fencing and similar fabrics whereby the same shall be entirely automatic in character.

To this end the main and primary object of the invention is to construct a wire-fabric machine with simple and efficient transferring mechanism for automatically transferring the spool-carriers from one twister-wheel to the adjacent twister-wheels.

With these and other objects in view,^which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the form of wirefabric machine equipped with the improvements contemplated by this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevation of a portion of the front side of the machine, showing the relative arrangement of the twister-wheels, the spool-carriers, and the gravity switch points or fingers. tional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of a portion of the machine, showing the gearing for operating the machine. tion, showing the preferred form of gearing for intermittently reversing the rotation of the twister-wheels to effect a transfer of the spool-carriers. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail in perspective of the driveshaft, having the pair of spaced key-lugs. Fig. 9 is a detail in perspective of one of the V-shaped `guide `plates or castings and the gravity switch point or finger mounted thereon. Fig. 10 is a detail in perspective of one of the spool-carriers.

Referring to the drawings, l designates an Fig. 3 is a transverse sec-- Fig. 5 is a similar view, partly in secv upright frame-board, preferably mounted on a Wheeled support 2 at its lower end, and said frame-board is provided 4with'a verticallyalined series of perforations or openings 3, which detachably receive therein the inner ends of the vertically-alined series of hollow stationary spindles 4. The inner ends of the hollow stationary spindles 4 may be detachably fastened to the upright frame-board l by means of suitable locking-keys 5 or other fastening means, and loosely mounted to rotate on the hollow stationary spindles,direct1y adjacent to one side of the board l, are the cogged twisterwheels 6. The cogged twisterwheels 6 are arranged in vertical alinement and intermeshwith each other, so as to have a simultaneous rotation when motion is imparted to that twister-wheel forming the drivewheel for the entire series.

It is of course understood that in weaving a line of fence or other fabric the hollow stationary spindles 4 receive therethrough the warp or line wires a, while the twister-wheels provide means for twisting the weft or mesh wires o together at the points of intersection or around the warp or line wires in the manner well understood by those acquainted with machines of this character. The intergeared vertically-alined cogged twister-wheels 6 are provided on their front sides with circular guide-anges 7, the function of which will be presently referred to, and in their peripheries with diametrically opposite peripheral notches 8, adapted to receive therein the short round neck-pieces 9, formed at one end of the spool-carriers l0. The spool-carriers 10 are rotated with the twister-wheels around the hollow stationary spindles 4 and are further provided at one end with a pair of spaced elliptically-shaped retaining-plates ll, which are centrally connected together by the shortneck-piece 9, thereby disposing the separate retaining-plates 11, respectively, at opposite sides of the cogged peripheries of the twisterwheels. The said spool-carriers 10 have detachably mounted thereon the wire-spools 12, on which is wound the weft or mesh wire b, so that such wire will be twisted together or onto the warp-wires as the spool-carriers are rotated with the twister-wheels.

Directly adjacent to the peripheries of the twister-wheels are arranged circular guides,

IOn

preferably formed by V-shaped guide-plates or castings 13, fastened on the front side of the upright frameboard 1 and having opposite segmental side portions 14, which are arranged in the saine circular plane as the segmental side portions of the adjacent guide plates or castings, thereby completing around each twister-wheel a circular guideway for the retaining-plates of the spool-carriers. The V- shaped guide-plates or castings 13 have their points or apices projected into the rentrant spaces between the meshing faces of the twister-wheels at opposite sides of such wheels, so as to form positive guides for the spoolcarriers, and said guide plates or castings 13 are provided with main inwardly-projecting guide-flanges 15, which project into the spaces between the parallel retaining-plates l1 of the spool-carriers, so as to hold such carriers in place while they are being rotated by the twister-wheels. Tlieconstructionjustdescribed, involving the twister-wheels and the particular construction and arrangement of the circular guides around the same, is identical with the construction disclosed in my contemporaneously-pending application, Serial No. 600,149, and therefore needs no further description.

TheV-shaped guide plates or castings 13, at opposite sides of and between each pair of adjacent twister-wheels, are provided with the pivot-collars 16, pivotally receiving therein the pvot-pins 17 at one end of the gravity switch points or fingers 1S, which are provided at one side of their pivotal supports with inwardly-disposed stop-pins 19, working in segmental slots 20, formed in the guide plates or castings at one side of lthe collars 16 and serving to limit the play of the switch points orfingers.` The said switch points or fingers 1S extend inwardly from their pivots, so as to play between the front guide-flanges 7 of adjacent twister-wheels, and the switch points or fingers 1S, in one vertical row of such points or fingers or at one side of the vertical centei' of the alined twister-wlieels, have their free swinging ends normally disposed downward against the front guideflanges 7 -of the twister-wheels therebelow, said switch points or fingers normally seeking this position by reason of their own-gravity. The switch points or fingers in the opposite vertical row are disposed in a reverse position to the normally downwardly disposed points or fingers. The switch points or fin-` gers opposite the down wardly-disposed points or fingers are provided at one side of their pivotal su pports with straight weight extensions 21, which are sufficiently heavy toiiormally fall below the pivotal supports of the working between each pair of twister-wheels are respectively disposed normally upward and downward, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the operation of the machine every alternate twister-wheel is an active wheel, while the other twister-wheels carry no spool-cai'- riers until the adjacent wheels have made the desired number of revolutions. Each active wheel, excepting of course the uppermost and lowermost, carry in their diainetrically opposite notches 8 a pair of spool-carriers which, when rotated with the wheel, pay out the weft or mesh wire as the same is twisted together or onto the warp or line wire. Vitli the spoolcarriers rotating with each active twisterwheel such twister-wheel rotates in a direction f' before a transfer is made to carry thc'outer rretaining-plates of the spool-carriers against the under side of the upper downwardly-disposed switeh point or fingeigagainst the under side of the upper upwardly-disposed switch' point or finger, and again'st the 'upper-side,"

respectively, of the lower upwardly and downwardly disposed switch points or fingers, so that it will be impossible for the spool-car yriers to leave the active twister-wheel, as can be seen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this rotation of the active twisterwheel the upper downwardly-disposed switch point or finger raises to allow the retainingplates of the spool-carriers to pass the same,

while the upper upwardly-disposed switch point or finger deflects the retaining-plates of the spoolcarriers back onto `the circular guides around the active wheel, while the `each active twister-wheel; but when a tiansi fer or shift of the spool-carriers is to be made IIO to the adjacent previously-inactive wheels the f rotation of the twister-wheels is reversed, so that the switch points or fingers will defiect the spool-carriers into the adjacent wheels and hold the saine in engagement with such wheels while rotating therewith.

Vhen the motion of the twister-wheels is reversed, it will be observed that the two spool-carriers in each previously-active wheel will be transferred, respectively, to the super and sub adjacent twister-wheels. In this'operation, assiimin g the previously-active wheell to be reversed to 'rotate in the direction indicated by the-dotted arrow'in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the first spool-carrier that reaches.

the lower upwardly-disposed switch point or finger will be deflected by such point or fin-` ger onto the guides of the s'ubadjacent wheel,

while the spool-carrier whose retaining-plates strike the upper downwardly-disposed switch point or finger will be defiected onto the guides for the upper or superadjacent twister-wheel. Therefore to provide for a transfer or shift of the spool-carriers from one twister-wheel to the adjacent wheels it is simply necessary to reverse the rotation of the wheels to secure such result, it being of course understood that the rotation of the wheels is reversed every time a complete twist of the warp or mesh wires is made. In connection with the switch points or fingers the outer elliptical retaining-plates ll of the spool-carriers strike against the guide-iianges 7 of the twisterwheels so as to be deflected against the switch points or fingers, which in turn provide for the proper deflection of said retaining-plates.

The reverse rotation of the twister-wheels to effect a' transfer or shift of the spool-carriers may be made in several ways, but ordinarily one of the twister-wheels carries at its inner side a master beveled gear-wheel 25, meshing with anadjacent beveled gear-pinion 26, mounted on a short drive-shaft 27 snpported at the rear side of the upright frameboard and having fitted to its outer end a crank-handle 28, which handle is simply reversed when it is desired to reverse the rotation of the twister-wheels. The preferred arrangement of the gearing for reversing the rotation of the twister-wheels is illustrated in Fig. of the drawings. In this arrangement of the gearing a pair of diametrically opposite beveled gear-pinions 29 is employed, said beveled gear-pinions 29 respectively meshing with the gear-wheel 25 at diametrically opposite sides of the axle of such wheel. The opposite beveled gear-pinions 29 are arranged to work in the bearing-brackets 30, secured on the rear side of the upright frame-board l, and are provided at one side with enlarged hub extensions 3l and in their shaft-openin gs 32 with key-seats 33, which key-seats are preferably provided with convexed side edges 34, adapted to register with the concaved sides 35 of the key-lugs 36, formed on the longitudinally-movable drive-shaft 37. The longitudinally-movable drive-shaft 37 loosely extends through the shaft-openings 32 of the pinions 29 and is mounted for a fixed rotation in one direction in the bearing-brackets 30, said drive shaft 27 carrying at one end a crank-handle 33a for operating the saine.

Between the opposite pinions 29 the driveshaft 37 may conveniently extend through an opening 38, formed in the end of the spindle `4, supporting the twister-wheel carrying the fectly loose on the shaft in order that it will not rotate therewith. When it is desired to reverse the rotation of the twister-wheels, it

is simplynecessary to move the shaft 27 longitudinally to lock the previously-inactive pinion 29 thereon to effect the desired result and without reversing the rotation of the shaft 27 and by a continuous forward movement of the crank-handle 28a. As the shaft 37 is rotated the registering engagement of the concaved side 35 of the key-lug 36 with the convexed side edge 34 of the key-seat in the pinion rotating with the shaft serves to check any tendency of the shaft to slip out of engagement with the pinion.

Other means than those described for reversing the rotation of the 'twister-wheels may be employed, and various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

, l. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of intermeshing cogged twister-wheels, spool-carriers detachably engaging with said wheels, circular guides arranged adjacent to the-peripheries of the wheels, gravity switch points or fingers arranged at opposite sides of and between each pair of twister-wheels, and means for reversing the rotation of the twisterwheels to effect a transfer of the spool-carriers from one wheel to the adjacent wheels, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of intermeshing cogged twister-wheels, spool-carriers engaging with said Wheels, circular guides arranged adjacent to the'peripheries of the wheels, pivotal gravity switch points or fingers arranged at opposite sides of and between each pair of wheels, the switch points or fingers at opposite sides of the vertical center of the series of wheels being normally disposed by g-ravity in opposite directions, and means for reversing the rotation of the twisterwheels, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wire-fabric machine, the combination of an alined series of intermeshing twisterwheels, spool-carriers engaging with said wheels, switch points or fin ofers pivotally arranged at opposite sides of and between each pair of wheels, the directly and diametrically opposite points or fingers being normally disposed by gravity in opposite directions, and means for reversing the rotation of the twisterwheels, substantially as set forth.

4. In awire-fabric machine, a series 0f intermeshing cogged twister-wheels, spool-carriers enga-ging with said wheels, circular guides arranged adjacent to the peripheries of the wheels, oscillatory gravity switch points or fingers pivotally mounted at opposite sides of and between each pair of wheels, the switch points or fingers at one side of the vertical center of the series of wheels being normally disposed downward by gravity, and the opposite series of switch points or fingers IOO IIO

being normally disposed in a reverse upward direction and provided at one side of their pivotal supports with weight extensions, means for limiting the movement or oscillation of the switch points or fingers, and means for reversing th'e rotation of the twisterwheels, substantially as set forth.

5. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of intermeshing cogged twisterwheels one of which carries at one side a master beveled gear-wheel, spool-carriers engaging with said twister-wheels, circular guides arranged adjacent to the peripheries of the wheels, re-v versely-disposed switch points or fingers pivotally arranged at opposite sides of and between each pair of twister-wheels, a driveshaft mounted for a fixed rotation, oppositelyarranged gear-pinions loosely mounted on the shaft and respectively meshing with the master gear-wheel at diametrically opposite sides of its axis, and means for temporarily connecting either of said gear-pinions with the shaft for rotation therewith, substantially as set forth.

6. In a wire-fabric machine, an upright frame-board, a series of intermeshing cogged twister-wheels mounted at one side of the board and one of which wheels carries a master gear-wheel, suitable spool-carrier guides, reversely-disposed switch points or ngers pivotally arranged at opposite sides of and between each pair of twister-wheels, oppositely arranged bearing brackets mounted at one side of the frame-board, a pair of diametrically opposite gear-pinions respectively meshing with the master gear-wheel at diametrically opposite sides of its axis and provided in their shaft-openings with key-seats having convexed side edges, and a longitudinally-movable drive-shaft loosely fitting in the shaft-openings of the gear-pinions and mounted for a fixed rotation in said bearingbrackets, said drive-shaft being provided at one side with a pair of spaced key-lugs having coucaved sides and spaced a greater distance apart than the key-seats of the opposite pinions, substantially as set forth.

7. In a wire-fabric machine, the combination of a series of twister-wheels geared for simultaneous rotation, spool-carriers rotated with said wheels, shifting devices for deflecting the spool-carriers from one twister-wheel to adjacent wheels when the rotation of the wheels is reversed, a single drive-shaft carrying at one end a crank-handle, and means for causing motion to be transmitted from the drive-shaft to the twister-wheels for turning the latter in either direction by the same forward motion of the drive-shaft, substantially as set forth.

8. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of rotating wheels or plates having surrounding and commu uicating ways, spool-carriers movable in said ways and carried by the wheels or plates, and oppositely-moving switch-fingers at opposite sides of the wheels or plates for switching said carriers from one Wheel or plate to the adjacent wheel or plate by revolving the wheels or plates in opposite directions, substantially' as set forth.

9. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of r0- tating wheels or plates, spool-carriers carried by the wheels or plates,'oppositely-moving switch-fingers arranged at opposite sides of the plates and automatically moved in one direction by the contact of the spool-carriers therewith, and means for reversing the rotation of the wheels or plates to effect a transfer of the spool-carriers, substantially as set forth.

l0. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of rotatable twister wheels or plates geared to rotate in opposite directions, ways surrounding the wheels or plates and communicating at the intersections thereof, spool-carri ers movable in said ways and carried by the wheels or plates, switch-fingers arranged at opposite sides of the` intersecting points of the wheels or plates and extending across the ways, the directly opposite or adjacent fingers being adapted to freely move in opposite directions and locked against movement in the other direction, and means for reversing the rotation of the wheels or plates, substantially as set forth.

1l. In a wire-fabric machine, a series of intermeshing twister-wheels, spool-carriers engaging the said wheels, guides arranged to retain the spool-carriers in engagement with the wheels, gravity switch-fingers arranged at opposite sides and between each pair of twister-wheels, and means for reversing the rotation of the twister-wheels, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVA L. KITSELMAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, THEoDoRE DALToN.

IOO 

